The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Providence Bruins take part in one of hockey's most cherished traditions - the handshake line - after the Phantoms won their AHL Calder Cup Playoff Atlantic Division Semifinal series Saturday at PPL Center.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Providence Bruins take part in one of hockey's most cherished traditions - the handshake line - after the Phantoms won their AHL Calder Cup Playoff Atlantic Division Semifinal series Saturday at PPL Center. (Courtesy of JustSports Photography)

After the Phantoms jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one period Saturday, the Bruins dominated the rest of the way, including the 18:36 they played in overtime. The Bruins outshot the Phantoms 46-14 from the second period on. If not for goaltender Alex Lyon’s 49-save performance — making a number of pad and glove game-preserving stops — the two teams would have needed Game 5 on Monday to decide the series.

Providence fired 14 of the 18 shots in the extra session but it was the last of the Phantoms’ four shots that propelled Lehigh Valley into the second round. Defenseman Max Lamarche fired a sharp-angled shot at Bruins netminder Zane McIntyre just trying to get the puck on net and broke a 25-game pointless streak with a goal. It spared the teams a second overtime, which was just 1:24 away from becoming necessary.

In his five seasons with the Phantoms, Lamarche had just seven goals for the team prior to his series-clinching tally.

The three games to one best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinal series victory was also the Phantoms’ first playoff series win as a franchise since the team played at the Spectrum (which was closed in Oct. 2009 and demolition began Nov. 2010). Originally based in Philadelphia, the Phantoms beat the Albany River Rats in their 2008 first round matchup four games to three. They lost to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton four games to one the following round.

The Adirondack Phantoms never made the playoffs.

Now, Lehigh Valley advances to the Calder Cup Playoffs’ Atlantic Division Finals to take on the Charlotte Checkers. The Phantoms will once again have home ice advantage as the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division. Charlotte finished third in the division and advanced by sweeping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in their first round best-of-five series.

The series, which is a best-of-seven, will begin Friday at PPL Center, followed by Game 2 on Saturday in Allentown. Then the series shifts Charlotte and because of the distance the teams will play three straight at Bojangles’ Coliseum, rather than take the traditional 2-2-1-1-1 format in a best-of-seven series.

The last time the Phantoms advanced past the second round was in 2005 when the Philadelphia Phantoms went all the way, winning their second Calder Cup in franchise history. They defeated the Norfolk Admirals, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Providence Bruins and then swept the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup Finals. All four series were best-of-seven.